Six renowned artists explain the ecology and landscape of “Ground/Work 2025” – Huge
On the 140-acre land of Clark Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, six contemporary artists have been invited to create site-specific works to interact with the property’s meadows, trails and Woods.
Sculptures written by YōAkiyama, Laura Ellen Bacon, Aboubakar Fofana, Hugh Hayden, Milena Naef and Javier Senosiain, from manicured Parkland to open fields to woods.
Bacon’s ethereal sculpture is made of stretchable branches that seem to move, and he installed nine feet tall “Collect My Thoughts” in a wooded area. This piece is made of Ohio willow trees and looks like a living form.
Hayden built a chest cavity (unknown species) that was larger than lifespan, made from locally sourced hemlocks that were poked out by dozens of branches in various directions. Partly masquerading among the trees, this work invites us to consider the themes of ecological vulnerability, extinction and climate crisis. After the exhibition, the work will be allowed to be decomposed on site, reflecting the remains of the animals eventually disappear back to Earth.
Fofana installed two plant forms, titled “Bana yiriw ni shi foot (Trees and Seeds of Life)” and was the artist’s first public artwork. He drew on his spiritual belief in natural divinity and fused African cotton dyed indigo representing seeds into a curly metal frame.
Other works include the vibrant marine life of cerocecin, installed in ponds, and Akiyama’s conical monolith, slabs of marble wood and Naef’s, which merge with the negative space of the fallen trees.
The exhibition is curated by independent scholar Glenn Adamson and offers opportunities to experience contemporary art in a natural setting. Olivier Meslay, director of Hardymon at the Clark Art Institute, said:
Clark’s campus becomes an accomplice, helping us see and appreciate the special vision of each artist and the interconnection between art and nature. With this version of Ground/workour guest curators… purposefully blur the boundaries that traditionally separate the considerations of art and craftsmanship, urging us to appreciate the art inherent in all forms of crafts.
Ground/Work 2025 Continue until October 2026, free access during the day or at 24/7 on Clark’s campus. Plan your visit on the museum website.
